


The Heaviside Layer

by Rainbowfootsteps



Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: ???????????????, Angst, Death, F/F, Gen, Headcanon, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, uhhhhhhhhh, what the fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22208245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbowfootsteps/pseuds/Rainbowfootsteps
Summary: Cats has some fucked up religious implications. Here's my take on that.
Relationships: Jemima/Victoria (Cats)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	The Heaviside Layer

_Jellicle cats are queen of the nights  
Singing at astronomical heights  
Handling pieces from the Messiah  
Hallelujah, angelical choir_

Victoria stretches. Her matted white fur crackles slightly as she extends her front limbs, splaying out her paws. She rubs her tired eyes, looking up at the world around her. She shouldn’t be surprised that it’s the same one that she fell asleep to, but she can’t help but feel disappointed. The eternal twilight is completely still around her. Even the streetlights seem to be holding their breath. Above her, soft lavender-grey clouds obscure the stars. The world has not moved without her. It will not move with her, either.

“Deuteronomy went to the Heaviside layer last night,” Jemima murmurs. Her and Victoria lie on a cold sidewalk, eyes roaming the sky listlessly. “You weren’t even there to see the end.”

“Why bother? It was Munkustrap last time. Rum Tum Tugger the time before. We should have known they were leaving us behind. Rebirth, my scat.” Victoria spits out her response with disgust. “We’ll never get to the Heaviside layer. We’ll stay here forever, never changing, never dying. That’s the Jellicle way. Why should I look at that old bastard one more time?”

Jemima’s tail trembles. “That’s not true. Deuteronomy said that it would continue. He said we would find a way. The Heaviside layer-“

“-Is a lie! We failed their test, we weren’t worth being reborn. You. Me. Demeter, Plato, Mungojerrie, Rumpelteazer. How many years has it been since Skimbleshanks left?” Victoria’s demand catches Jemima off guard. She looks away, trying to remember. Her tail’s trembling grows more vivacious. Victoria’s expression softens.

“I’m sorry, Jem. It’s not your fault. I thought it was going to be okay. I thought we would have our turn. But when we noticed that there were no new kittens, when we asked and Deuteronomy ignored us… I didn’t want to believe he would lie to us. I… I don’t know what to do.”

Victoria shifts closer to Jemima, wrapping her tail around the slender cat’s satin red coat. Their tails entwine. A warmth unfamiliar in their cold world. A romance that flickers valiantly, yet vainly, against entropy. They lie together in silence. The moon never moves. They will wait for sunrise, and think of a new life. If they are lucky, eternity will pass quickly.

* * *

Old Deuteronomy walks slowly. His old limbs creak and moan as he shuffles up the endless staircase, a gentle hum surrounding him. He’s seen a lot in his time. Too much, he muses. Perhaps he was given too much responsibility, judging who was deserving of absolution. Far too late now to change what was done. Now it’s his turn. The Heaviside layer is beckoning him, crooning his true name with the gentle voice of a lover. He knows what awaits him. Every time he led a cat up these very stairs, he knew what awaited them. He felt jealous. Deuteronomy rises another step. He has arrived at the top of the endless staircase.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” He rasps. He leans his head forward, feeling the wind on his fur. It’s beginning. The hum increases. His mind wanders to the cats left behind. A pity, really. His mind cannot fathom a life an eternity long, and he is grateful of that fact. The wind starts to get hot. Too hot. He shuts his eyes, but there is no relief. He can feel himself burning. Flesh charring and recoiling to reveal pearly bone. It’s wonderful. He is being erased. His consciousness is fading.

He has done his job faithfully. This is his reward.


End file.
